After a week of twists and turns, Sam Altman is back at the head of OpenAI, the AI research company. Sam Altman, the key man at ChatGPT, was fired by the OpenAI board on November 17. A few hours later, he landed a job at Microsoft. But on November 21, the announcement of his return to OpenAI surprised more than one. More details below!
An unexpected (or not) return of Sam Altman at the head of the AI company
Altman’s return comes as a surprise, both to OpenAI employees and the AI world. He had been fired for reasons that were never clearly explained. Some have cited differences in views between Altman and the board on the direction of the AI business.
The day after the firing, OpenAI investors began lobbying for Altman’s return. They felt that his departure would be a major loss for the companywho is one of the leading pioneers in the field of AI.
Over the weekend, discussions between Altman and the board intensified. On November 21, OpenAI then announced the return ofAltman had agreed to return to head the AI company.
A comeback coupled with a change in governance
The return of Altman is accompanied by a change in governance as specified by OpenAI in its statement. The board of directors has been reshuffled and is now composed of:
- Bret Taylor (President),
- Larry Summers,
- Adam D’Angelo.
Taylor is a former Google executive. He is currently the president of Salesforce. Summers is an economist and former US Treasury Secretary. D’Angelo is the founder of Quora.
This new board of directors is supposed to bring more stability and transparency at OpenAI. It is also supposed to allow Altman to continue his mission: to make AI beneficial to humanity.
Altman’s return is good news for OpenAI and the future of AI. He is now at the head of a more stable and better governed company, with the necessary means to pursue its mission.
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